Roller clamp for punch presses



Aug. 10, 1954 y F, H, BERGH 2,685,928

` ROLLER CLAMP FOR PUNCH PRESSES Filed March 7. 1952 2 sheets-sheet 1 "i iii I I Q l l I yg :e n O N V\ o v. o o o 0N; N r Q o 9 m65 N NN m I E [l s/ y 'ili n Il li Q Q u, v

/Vl/./VTOI; F H. BERGH #froh/ver Aug- 10, 1954 y F. H. BERGH v2,685,928

ROLLER CLAMP FOR PUNCH PRESSES Filed March 1952 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /Nl/EA/rof? l." H. BERG/1- MMM Patented Aug. 10, 1954 ROLLER CLAMP FOR PUNCH PRESSES Fred H. Bergh, Roselle, N. J., assignor to Western ElectricV Company, Incorporated, New York,

N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March '7, 1952, Serial No. 275,365

This invention relates to article clamping umts and more particularly to units for clamping elongate articles in material working machines.

In lthe manufacture of certain types of telephone equipment, sturdy metal frames include long metal channel and angle members. These members must be provided with numerous holes which, at the present time, are produced in a perforating machine Where thirty-four holes are punched simultaneously. To perform these punching operations successfully without damage to the punch units, the portions of the articles being punched should rest rmly on the die members of the punch units before the punch members are moved into engagement therewith. The present channeland angle members are provided with one hundred thirty-six holes punched in four operations of the press, and it has been found that although lthe channel and Vangle members are presumed to be straight, oc-

casionally some of them are bowed making it `impossible for the portions to be punched to rest rmly on the die members of the punch units when initially brought into punching position.

It is necessary'that the channel and angle mem-l bers be held against displacement laterally of the punch units. With the commercially known clamping means for machines of this type, rthe channel and angle members were held against rmovement longitudinally of the punch units re-r sulting in several portions of bowed members being held free of the die members of the punching units causing undesirable perforations and frequent damage to the punches and dies of these units.

The principal object ofthe present invention is a clamp which will hold an article firmly in one plane while at the same time permit limited movement of the article in one or more directions within the plane. f

Another object of the invention is a clamping unit whereby the4 hold-down members of the punch and die units may move the portions of the article to be perforated into engagement with the die members prior to the punches beginning their perforating operations. A

With this and other objects'in view, the invention comprises xed and movable units having parallel surfaces with rollable elements positioned in engagement with their respective surfaces and means to move the movable unit to clamp an article between the units against movement from a plane parallel with the surface planes of the units but movable in its plane.

'I'he clampvis particularly adapted for use in 5 Claims. (Cl. 164-110) a perforating machine having a plurality of punch and die units with the dies` mounted in the bed of the machine and hold-down members of the units tending to force the portions of the article to be perforated into close engagement with the die members prior to the punches reaching the article. The clamp includes a xed position unit having a surface lying in a given plane and a series of rollers normally held in their uppermost positions by a spring but permitted to roll downwardly with an'article held in the clamp to position the portion of the article to be perforated in close engagement with the die under the force of the hold-down member in each perforating unit. A head or movable member of the clamp is similar to the fixed position member in that it has a surface parallel to the surface of the fixed member and a series of rollers normally urged upwardly by a spring but adapted to roll downwardly with the article being clamped whereby the article will be held against displacement except in the given plane to assure accurate positioning of the perforations therein, while the article is straightened to accurately position it for vthe punching operations.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the clamp shown in clamping position in a perforating machine.

`Fig. .2 is an enlarged fragmentary isometric view of the movable portion of the clamp.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary isometric view of the fixed position member of the clamp, and

Fig. 4 is a schematic front` elevational View of a perforating machine including a plurality of the clamping units.

Referring now to the drawings attention is rst directed to Fig. 1 which illustrates a fragmentary end view of a perforating machine I0 embodying the clamping unit indicated generally at II. The perforating machine, as shown in Fig. 4, has a plurality of punching or perforating units I2 including apertured die members I4 mounted in a portion of the frame I5 of the machine. A hold-down member I6 is movably disposed in an aperture of the frame structure I 0 and normally urged upwardly by a spring I'I. A punch I8, having an end I9 cooperating with the die I4 to perforate a portion 20 of an article 2I, is normally urged upwardly by a spring -22 interposed between a head or enlarged portion 23 ofthe punch and the upper end of the .at "5.0 4in portions ,Lo'f :the bracket.

of rollers 21 having reduced ends 28, or mounted on shafts of the sizes illustrated, are positioned to ride on the surface 29 where'they ar`e=held against lateral displacementby Vabifurcated retaining member 30. The member isfmounted on the member 25 while the member 25.ismoun't ed on the main frame of the machine. Resilient means in the form of a spring 3| *hasitsupper ends secured to the member 25 while its eentral lower portion 32 r'engages the lowermost 1,rolle1w21 to normally urge the rollers into their .uppermost Ypositions against the upper Hpart of the retaining member 30.

.The member 26'is similar in structuret'o the member 1'25`in `-that itis provided'with a'surface rv3'5 parallel with thefsuri'ace'g. 'Rollers jdisposed adjacent the Vsurface 3 5.have `reduced ends l.or .--shafts "31 whereby a bifurcated retaining .member'3`8 mounted on the member 26 will hold ..the.rollers ,in their proper positions relative'to .the :surface 35. 'A kresilientmember 38 has Yone Aend ixed. at39 to themember 26 andthe other vend .bent inwardly Iat T40 to 'support the rollers 36 .and normally .urge 'them upwardly into engagement with .a Stopportion`4l of -the -retaining, member `38.

v'Iheinember S26 is `mounted on one end of .a

.threaded .shank 43 ,which 'is 'receivable vin `a hol- ;low .supporting member .'54'4 vand "held )at `any de- 'siredv4 adjusted position thereinzby anut45. The

member '144 L is .slidablel` longitudinally' in an aperturedportionw of abracket'4`1 andis connected l.throughaflink 48lto alever "49 Which'ispivoted Thebracket "41 is mountedat.afxedposition "onia base vv5| s of kthe, machine.

.Considering .now 'the 'function 'of the clamp,

v.particularly .in combination .with the `perforating machine, vit'will be apparent that elongate .articles 1- such as metal channels or metal angles .may hefposition'ed between "the members 'of the clamp when the clairiphas been moved into 'its .openpositionthrdugh the actuation of the handle 48. "Whenthearticlel 'is,.positioned with the .leg s portion ,2' to be perforated located over` the die members ...of the machine, `vthis .and `all the otherclamping units may be Amoved into Closed `positionvs'ziththe series of 'rollers 21'and`3'6 holding the article'inposition for"the"formation-of theperforations therein. Asillustrated'in Figs. 1 and 4, "certain j portions o'f the Aarticle "may not .be located "in engagement with the vdie ,mem-

.bers f4 Jvdue 'to'thearticle beinglbowed. However,

vduring operation of the per'forating -machine when the ram engages the heads '.23 of Lthe .punches I'8,the1immediate forces willibe applied ',through the springs ."22 to the .holdedown u'mem- Ihers L |16, Cforcing them tin engagement with the ,portions of 'the article"2 I and 4moving lthem into intimateengagement with'their dies l'4pri0r to thepunches IB or the 'portions |19 thereof :en-

tgagingthe article. Duringithis action-the article, although'being 'held :iirmly against" displacement in any` other directionfmay' move with 'the rollers A.in a direction with 'the [punches "I8 `so that Satisfactory vpunching operations 'may *be performed and damage to the punches eliminoted.

After the perforating or punching operation has been completed, the return of the ram will allow the springs 22 to remove the punches after which the hold-down members will free the article to .movein one vdirection in the clamps. lThe one or.m'oreclamps mayibe-fiopened a given distance to either remove the article entirely from the machine or to permit its longitudinal movement to position it for another series of perfora- `rtions. ".Themollers 21 and 36 will always return ,to Vtheir-,upper .positions through the forces of 'their 'lr'e'silient members and in moving them :.dowwnardly withthe article held in the clamp they provide spaced engaging portions controlled ibytheir Lsinffaces,fgripping the article to assure rm .holding thereof against displacement in all directions except that necessary for the positioning of the portion of the article to be perforated-in registration v'with -the fdie.

vIt isto-'be understood that the "above-described arrangements are 'simply iillustrative of the lap-- ,plication 'of Tthe :principles of the invention. -Nu- "merous 'other 'arrangements' may @be readily devis'ed by 'those skilledin A:the *art lwhich #will fembody the "principles 'of 4the invention `and ffall within "the Vspirit "and scope thereof Whatis claimedis:

'1. The 'combination *with va =perforating machine having aperforating unit-including ra yholddown membrana punch and "a v#die adapted 'for 'holding van vlarticle in rkenga'gement with the fdie and 'then perforating the "article, of a clamping 'unitsupportedA adj acent` thefper'foratingunit and comprising "a head; means-to 'move the'head into and out'of -clamping position-and i to cause `A`the head to holdithe-fartileinzthe"clamping position, 'and f' av reliable elem-ent f carriedby the head to engage "'the article to iho'l'd'the article in A=a zgiven"r'JlaI1'e--'^a1rd roll with the article lwhile Hitiis 'moved by VYthe hold-down fmerriber into f1 engage- 'mentwvithA thedie pri-or tto Xthe fpunch Vengaging thearticletopeforate it.

2; The 4combirration with a vperf@rating rma- "chin'eihavingl'a perfo'rating unitinclu'ding'a holddown member, f a "punch rvand a -die adapted .for -holding an *article fin #engagement .with fthe f die and-thenperforating the article, of 1a clamping unit supported adj'acen't the perforatingunitrand comprising `afl-lead, meansto Anica/e theheadinto )and out-of clamping position .and to fcause 'the lh'eadj'to"held the artilefrelative-tothe pnnchf'and -dielin thef'clamping position, c:a Jrllable felement carried by the head for rotary and lateralimovementi to engage fthe *fartielef to hold .thearticle in ta givenY plane-'andi rolheut-'lo'f its #normal @position with Athe 'article "while 'fit is moved "byuthe holddown' member into'V engagement-with:therdiezprior to thepunch engaging the articlefto Jperforatefit Iand 'resilient fmeans urging itheffelement :towards its norm-al@positionrwithout disturbingthe rotary andllateralmovementsfo' thel element.

SKI-he 'combination with a perforating machinei having-a'Y perforatingA "unit includingaiholddown member, fa :pun-th Lan-d ra die adapted :for iholding article 'inlengagement iwith the die 'andfthen eper'foi'ating the #article @of '.a clamping Lunit *supported #adjacent the rvp-unizh and fdie lfor 70 4the lperfora'ting Tmachine yland fcomprising a :roll- -able"elementcarried ly`by^the machine to be fenin a clamping fposition, a i'head, means to move the Lhead `relative 1to Vfthe "rollable -element into iand out cf felampingmositioniand-tohold the head in the clamping position and a rollable clement carried by the head to cooperate with the other element to hold the article in the given plane while it is moved in the plane by the holddown member into engagement with the die prior to the punch engaging the material to perforate it.

4. 'I'he combination with a perforating machine having a perforating unit including a holddown member, a punch and a die adapted for holding an article in engagement with the die and then perforating the article, of a clamping unit disposed adjacent the perforating unit and comprising a holder mounted on the machine at a given position relative to the unit and having a surface disposed in a given plane, a set of rollers disposed in the holder adjacent the surface, resilient means to normally hold the rollers in given positions and allow them to roll on the surface, a head, means to move the head into and out of clamping position and to hold the head in the clamping position adjacent the holder, the head having a surface parallel with the surface of the holder, a set of rollers disposed in the head adjacent the surface thereof, resilient means to normally hold the rollers in given positions and allow them to roll on their surface and cooperate with the other set of rollers to hold the article in a given plane parallel with the said 5. The combination with a perforating machine having a plurality of perforating units each including a hold-down member, a punch and a die adapted to hold an elongate article in engagement with the die and then perforate the article, of like clamping units disposed at spaced positions relative to the perforating units and comprising heads, means to move the heads into and out of clamping positions and to cause the heads to hold the article in the clamping positions, and rollable elements carried by the heads to engage an article to hold the article in a given plane and roll out of their normal positions whereby various portions of the article adjacent the units may be moved by the hold-down members thereof into engagement with their dies prior to the punches engaging the article to perforate it.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 722,900 Reilly Mar. 17, 1903 886,876 Sears May 5, 1908 1,416,168 Carleton May 16, 1922 1,715,244 McMillan May 28, 1929 2,198,501 Kmentt Apr. 23, 1940 2,373,844 Norsen Apr. 17, 1945 2,422,775 Conner June 24, 1947 2,627,105 Storm Feb. 6, 1953 

